Awards

Synopses & Reviews

From Powells.com:

In a famous line toward the end of David Lean's magnificent Lawrence of Arabia, Prince Faisal tells Lawrence, "Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men, courage and hope for the future. Then, old men make peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men, mistrust and caution. It must be so." It's a great line. Too bad it isn't accurate. In the negotiations that remapped the Middle East after World War I, arrogance and ignorance played a far greater role than caution and mistrust. And, these decisions have proven disastrous. For decades, the Middle East has been a major source of violence and political discord in the world. In this classic work, first published in 1989, David Fromkin demonstrates that the conflicts that unsettle the region today are largely a result of the ill-considered decisions — many quite arbitrary — made more than eighty years ago by Europeans who had little understanding or concern for the region. Today, with the Middle East once again the focal point of world conflict, it's hard not to wonder if maybe Hegel wasn't right when he said that what we learn from history is that we do not learn from history. If he's to be proven wrong, it will be the result of excellent scholars like Fromkin, and indispensable books like A Peace to End All Peace. Farley, Powells.com

Publisher Comments:

The critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling account of how the modern Middle East came into being after World War I, and why it is in upheaval today

In our time the Middle East has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts, including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the Middle East will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.

Historian David Fromkin is a professor at Boston University and the author of several acclaimed books of nonfiction. He lives in New York City.

This is Fromkin's critically acclaimed, New York Times-bestselling account of how the modern Middle East emerged from decisions made by the Allies during and after World War I. He reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when everythingeven an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionismseemed possible and oil was not a political issue, Fromkin shows how the choices narrowed and the Middle East began along a road that led to today's endless wars and escalating acts of terrorism.

"Wonderful . . . No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East."Jack Miles, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Extraordinarily ambitious, provocative, and vividly written . . . Fromkin unfolds a gripping tale of diplomatic double-dealing, military incompetence, and political upheaval."Reid Beddow, The Washington Post Book World

"Ambitious and splendid . . . An epic tale of ruin and disillusion . . . of great men, their large deeds and even larger follies."Fouad Ajami, The Wall Street Journal

"Absorbing . . . The scale is grand, but Fromkin never blurs the detail."The New Yorker

"Turns history into entertaining drama."Steve Weingartner, Booklist

Review:

"Wonderful....No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East." Jack Miles, Los Angeles Times Book Review

Review:

"Vividly written....Fromkin unfolds a gripping tale of diplomatic double-dealing, military incompetence, and political upheaval." Reid Beddow, The Washington Post Book World

Review:

"[It] achieves an ideal of historical writing: its absorbing narrative not only recounts past events but offers a useful way to think about them....The book demands close attention and repays it. Much of the information here was not available until recent decades, and almost every page brings us news about a past that troubles the present." Naomi Bliven, The New Yorker

Review:

"One of the first books to take an effective panoramic view of what was happening, not only in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, and the Arab regions of Asia but also in Afghanistan and central Asia....Readers will come away from A Peace to End All Peace not only enlightened but challenged ? challenged in a way that is brought home by the irony of the title." The New York Times Book Review

Review:

"On some points Fromkin is probably right (as when he plays down the military significance of the Arab revolt in 1916), and on some he is wrong (as when he alleges that Palestine was partitioned in 1921-2). But in neither case does he adduce any significant evidence or argument not already familiar to historians." Bernard Wasserstein, The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Synopsis:

The Middle East has long been a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts — including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared up yet again — stem from its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when everything — even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism — seemed possible, Fromkin raises questions about what might have been done differently and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of eighty-five years ago.

Synopsis:

Published with a new afterword from the author&#8212;the classic, bestselling account of how the modern Middle East was created

The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts&#8212;including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis, and the violent challenges posed by Iraqs competing sects&#8212;are rooted in the regions political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time, showing how the choices narrowed and the Middle East began along a road that led to the conflicts and confusion that continue to this day.

A new afterword from Fromkin, written for this edition of the book, includes his invaluable, updated assessment of this region of the world today, and on what this history has to teach us.

Synopsis:

The critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling account of how the modern Middle East came into being after World War I, and why it is in upheaval today

In our time the Middle East has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts, including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the Middle East will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.

"Review"
by Jack Miles, Los Angeles Times Book Review,
"Wonderful....No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East."

"Review"
by Reid Beddow, The Washington Post Book World,
"Vividly written....Fromkin unfolds a gripping tale of diplomatic double-dealing, military incompetence, and political upheaval."

"Review"
by Naomi Bliven, The New Yorker,
"[It] achieves an ideal of historical writing: its absorbing narrative not only recounts past events but offers a useful way to think about them....The book demands close attention and repays it. Much of the information here was not available until recent decades, and almost every page brings us news about a past that troubles the present."

"Review"
by The New York Times Book Review,
"One of the first books to take an effective panoramic view of what was happening, not only in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, and the Arab regions of Asia but also in Afghanistan and central Asia....Readers will come away from A Peace to End All Peace not only enlightened but challenged ? challenged in a way that is brought home by the irony of the title."

"Review"
by Bernard Wasserstein, The Times Literary Supplement (London),
"On some points Fromkin is probably right (as when he plays down the military significance of the Arab revolt in 1916), and on some he is wrong (as when he alleges that Palestine was partitioned in 1921-2). But in neither case does he adduce any significant evidence or argument not already familiar to historians."

"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
The Middle East has long been a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts — including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared up yet again — stem from its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when everything — even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism — seemed possible, Fromkin raises questions about what might have been done differently and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of eighty-five years ago.

"Synopsis"
by Netread,

Published with a new afterword from the author&#8212;the classic, bestselling account of how the modern Middle East was created

The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts&#8212;including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis, and the violent challenges posed by Iraqs competing sects&#8212;are rooted in the regions political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time, showing how the choices narrowed and the Middle East began along a road that led to the conflicts and confusion that continue to this day.

A new afterword from Fromkin, written for this edition of the book, includes his invaluable, updated assessment of this region of the world today, and on what this history has to teach us.

"Synopsis"
by Netread,

The critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling account of how the modern Middle East came into being after World War I, and why it is in upheaval today

In our time the Middle East has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts, including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the Middle East will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.

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